News & Opinion

Seagate Momentus Premature Drive Failure Reported
in MacBooks

"'I just wanted to drop a quick line out there to give a heads up on
a problem I have been seeing more and more frequently at the CDB Data
Recovery Center.

"I have been noticing that the Seagate Momentus 5400.2 SATA laptop
drives from MacBooks (60 GB and up) have been coming in with failures.
These hard drive failures are quite severe. When I send these drives
out to the facility <<name deleted but *very* well known>>
that handles our heavy damage / invasive data recoveries, they are
unable to get any data from the drives as well."

The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Apple
UMPC

AppleMatters' James R. Stoup says:

"I am beginning to think that the iPhone euphoria has finally gotten
to some bloggers out there because I keep reading ridiculous stories
about Apple and their fabled UMPC (that's Ultra Mobile Personal
Computer for those of you who are acronymly-challenged). Both CNet and
AppleInsider are convinced that we are mere months away from seeing the
first glimpse of this device. Why suddenly people think that a useless
product with fundamental flaws and no real market can succeed if only
Apple makes it is beyond me. Guess what? Apple won't be making an 'OS X
Tablet' or a 'New & Improved Newton' anytime soon, so stop battling
the forces of reality and just accept that fact."

Which MacBook to Buy, and When?

The San Antonio Express-News's Mac Guy addresses the dilemma of
whether to buy a MacBook or a MacBook Pro and when to buy:

"While both the MacBook and MacBook Pros are good systems, you get
more RAM and larger hard drives on the MacBook Pros. The latest MacBook
Pros hold up to 4 GB RAM and have more memory on their video cards
as well. The MacBook Pro is definitely the way to go if you need
maximum memory and storage. The smaller MacBook Pro has a 15-inch
screen, so it is not as petite as the MacBook or the older 12-inch
PowerBook G4, but you have to make a trade-off between memory and video
capacity on the one hand and small form factor on the other."

MacBook Workmanlike, Cool

The Sunday Times' Alex Pell says:

"The best low-price laptops have grown into surprisingly complete
performers: perfect matches for cash-strapped students among others

"The laptop has moved from being a rep's standby and an executive's
toy to a useful piece of kit for everyone from schoolchildren upwards.
And for university-bound students a laptop (also known as a notebook)
is as essential as daytime TV or subsidised beer....

"Style Guru

"Apple MacBook 2 GHz

"Workmanlike, yet still exudes cool

"Apple's budget laptop range contains much the same technology as
its pricier Pro brethren and the neat plastic chassis shows few obvious
signs of corner cutting. The 13.3in screen is compact but bright, clear
and colourful. The large keys proved capable and the battery lasted 5
hr 34 min. Its Intel Core 2 Duo processor handled the Apple software
well and it can also run Windows, though that must be bought
separately. The MacBook weighs just 2.3 kg but its value is eroded by a
skimpy 80 GB hard drive, only 1 GB of RAM and no DVD writer on the
model as tested. The older iPod-white style case is overdue a redesign
too."

Santa Rosa MacBook Pro: The Green & Gold
Standard

InfoWorld's Tom Yager reports:

"I got stung by my last MacBook Pro review which went to press
before the unit started showing problems with build quality and
durability. I would not have pronounced it so with confidence any
sooner than this, but I can state now that today's MacBook Pro stands
head and shoulders above Apple's prior flagship Intel notebooks, and
sets a standard for performance, features, durability,
eco-responsibility and quality that any PC vendor will find difficult
to approach for a similar price.

"The Santa Rosa MacBook Pro (named for the Intel Core 2 Duo chipset
used in the notebook), perhaps also known as the LED backlit MacBook
Pro, has earned its stripes. If this notebook had a frequent flier
account of its own, it would have racked up enough travel miles in my
carry-on bag to qualify for Gold status. I figure that this is a
fitting milestone for writing this machine up, because by this point,
most notebooks, including some from Apple, would be showing their age.
This machine looks, feels and runs like it did when it came out of the
box. Considering how sweet it was new, that's saying something.

"Apple has transcended PC notebooks. The Santa Rosa MacBook Pro
doesn't look or feel like any notebook you've ever driven, even if your
present notebook is a Mac. It's built."

LED Displays to Dominate Apple, Sony Notebooks

Electronista reports:

High-profile companies like Apple and Sony may produce as much as a
third of their notebooks with advanced LED-backlit displays by next
year, according to reported insiders from the LCD panel industry. These
companies in particular are expected to replace at least 20 to 30
percent of their notebook lineups with the new technology by 2008 or
2009 at the latest as they seek to improve the displays across more of
their existing lines....

The improvement would let both desktop replacement systems and
thin-and-light notebooks produce more uniform colors, save power, and
reduce their thickness compared to traditional displays with
cold-cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlights.

Apple Updates

Battery Update 1.3 for 15" MacBook Pro

Battery Update 1.3 updates battery firmware and addresses battery
performance issues with the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Your computer's power
cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source while
running this update.

After the Battery Update has been installed, any additional
batteries you put in your 15-inch MacBook Pro are automatically
updated.

Spire Releases New Courier Bags

PR: No matter what size laptop you own, we've got you
covered. Perfect fit, great protection, and an abundance of pockets
with easy access to all your gizmos. Life is good! Viro - For small (up
to 14.1") widescreen laptops such as 13" MacBook; Endo For mid-sized
(15.4") widescreen laptops such as 15" MacBook Pro; Mojo For large
(17") widescreen laptops such as: 17" MacBook Pro

Viro -
For small (up to 14.1") widescreen laptops such as 13" MacBook

14" laptop bag]Lightweight, compact and highly mobile, the Viro is
designed to hold small widescreen laptops such as the Apple MacBook 13"
and 14.1" PCs perfectly.

All new for 2008, the Viro courier bag offers outstanding
protection, convenience and versatility. It's small enough that you
won't be knocking into people on the L train, yet big enough to hold
all the essentials. Features include:

TripleShock padding system

Mesh water bottle pocket

Beefy 2" single-buckle closure

Die-cut reflective ovals

Multiple internal and external pockets

Pass-through for rolling luggage handle

Removable key fob

MP3 pocket with headphone grommet

Padded handle with anti-sag reinforcement

Removable waist strap

Glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls

Rugged 1680D Ballistic nylon exterior

Light gray interior

Asymmetrical shoulder strap pad

Lifetime warranty against defects

2008 Viro Specs

Product Code VR8

Price $80.00

Laptop Compartment 13.5" x 10.5" x 1.25"

External Dims 14.5" x 12.0" x 4.5"

Capacity 780 Cubic Inches

Weight 2.0 Lbs

External Fabric 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon

External Pockets 6

Internal Pockets 4 (+ 2 Pen Pockets)

Padded Handle Yes

Padded Shoulder Strap Yes

Removable Waist Strap Yes

Endo For mid-sized (15.4") widescreen laptops such as 15" MacBook
Pro

15" laptop bag]Redesigned for 2008, the Endo is designed to hold
mid-sized widescreen laptops such as the Apple MacBook 15" and 15.4"
PCs perfectly.

EN8_MID180.jpg

The Endo courier bag offers outstanding protection, convenience and
versatility. When you want one bag to use and abuse every day, this is
it. Features include:

TripleShock padding system

Mesh water bottle pocket

Beefy 2" single-buckle closure

Die-cut reflective ovals

Multiple internal and external pockets

Pass-through for rolling luggage handle

Removable key fob

MP3 pocket with headphone grommet

Padded handle with anti-sag reinforcement

Removable waist strap

Glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls

Rugged 1680D Ballistic nylon exterior

Light gray interior

Asymmetrical shoulder strap pad

Lifetime warranty against defects

2008 Endo Specs

Product Code EN8

Price $90.00

Laptop Compartment 14.5" x 10.5" x 1.5"

External Dims 16.0" x 12.0" x 5.0"

Capacity 960 Cubic Inches

Weight 2.2 Lbs

External Fabric 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon

External Pockets 6

Internal Pockets 4 (+ 2 Pen Pockets)

Padded Handle Yes

Padded Shoulder Strap Yes

Removable Waist Strap Yes

Mojo For large (17") widescreen laptops such as: 17" MacBook Pro

17" laptop bag]All new for 2008, the Mojo is designed to hold large
widescreen laptops such as the Apple MacBook 17" and 17" PCs
perfectly.

Backpackshield.com Offers Bullet Resistant Computer
Backpacks

PR: BackPackShield Manufacturing has announced a series of
Level IIIA bullet resistant portable shields for student backpacks,
computer bags, brief cases and other portable cases and bags.
Impermeable to most handgun bullets, the shields are portable and can
be moved between backpacks and bags, securing the investment and
offering years of use.

Manufactured with more than ten layers of bullet resistant Dupont
Kevlar™ fabric, which has ten times the tensile strength of
steel, the layers are bound and epoxy impregnated into a sheet less
than 1Ú2" thick and weighing less than a typical textbook.
Retailing for $249, for a standard size which fits most student
backpacks, the shields are available in more than 10 colors to allow
discretion, or personalization. The BackPackShields come with an
installation kit with removable Velcrowhich allows easy removal,
washing, and portability.

"Unlike weaker level II ballistic curtains that are permanently sewn
into bags, BackPackShields are manufactured to a much higher National
Institute of Justice (N.I.J.) Level IIIA specification," said Kerry
Clark, President of BackPackShield and defense contractor and supplier
AMPTEC RESEARCH Corp. "Level IIIA protection specifications can stop
even the hardened full metal jacketed high velocity handgun bullets
including 9 mm and 44 Magnum that pass right through a level II
bulletproof liner."

A full line of shields are available which support common laptop
computer carrying cases from most manufacturers, including Dell, HP,
Sony and Toshiba. Custom sizes and shapes can also be ordered.
Additional information, prices and specifications are available on the
company's web site at Backpackshield.com

BackPackShield manufacturing, located in Austin, TX, was founded by
Kerry Clark. Clark is also the President of defense and aerospace
supplier Amptec Research Corp. Clark has more than 27 years of
experience in developing and designing explosive safety products for
safely testing high explosive ordnance such as missile warheads for the
USAF, US Navy, Lockheed Martin and Boeing Company. Inspired while
working with the USAF Special Operations, who were lining their MH-53J
PAVLOW Attack Helicopters with bullet resistant Kevlar™, Clark
realized that a light thin semi-rigid backpack shield that stops
virtually every handgun round could be discretely added to student and
collegiate backpacks, providing both protection and peace of mind for
students and families.

Bargain 'Books

Bargain 'Books are used unless otherwise indicated. New and
refurbished units have a one-year Apple warranty and are eligible for
AppleCare.

There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233 MHz,
the cacheless MainStreet version and
the later Series II with a level 2
cache. It's not always possible to determine from the vendor's listing
which is being offered, so we've included links within this paragraph
to the two models. The same goes for the PowerBook G4/667 (VGA) and G4/667 (DVI), the titanium vs. aluminum 15"
PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz, and 1.25 GHz to 1.5 GHz 15" PowerBooks.

TechRestore is offering a $25 discount to 'Book
Review readers off any PowerBook or iBook in stock. Just enter the code
CWM during checkout when ordering online. The coupon code is valid from
now through 2007.12.31.

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Welcome Image and Text

We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.